Iowa State football needs strong APR in 2014

The Iowa State athletic department passed its biggest NCAA test of the year, though there will be work for the football team if it's to get a satisfactory mark next season.

The NCAA released its latest APR figures on Tuesday and all Cyclone sports posted qualifying scores higher than 900 that will help allow them to compete in the postseason in 2013-14. The football team had a score of 928.

Come 2014-15, teams must have a four-year APR of 930 or a two-year average of 940 to compete in the postseason. Those standards will be raised from the current qualifying scores of 900 and 930, respectively, in place for the 2012-13 academic year.

The APR is a score used by the NCAA to track academic progress, athlete retention and graduation. Failure to meet the minimum score can result in practice restrictions, scholarship reductions and postseason bans.

No other ISU team scored below a 949, which was the mark the men's basketball team posted. The women's basketball team and the volleyball team each had a 985. The tennis team posted the highest ISU score, a 1,000, which is the considered a perfect APR score.

The NCAA calculates the APR rate for each program as a rolling, four-year figure. The latest figures run through the 2011-12 academic year.